Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is the predominant antibody isotype found in the bloodstream of horses and is integral to their immune defense mechanisms. It is produced by B lymphocytes and plays a significant role in identifying and neutralizing pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. IgG is involved in various immune functions, including opsonization, complement activation, and neutralization of toxins. In equine medicine, measuring IgG levels is important for assessing the immune status of foals, especially in cases of failure of passive transfer (FPT) of maternal antibodies. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the structure, function, and clinical implications of Immunoglobulin G in equine health.
Moroz LA, Comerford TA, Guttman RD.Serum sickness followed the administration of anti-lymphocyte globulin to a patient with multiple sclerosis. In addition to other characteristic features of this syndrome, there was hypocomplementemia and transient renal dysfunction similar to that observed in the 'one-shot' experimental model of serum sickness. Cryoglobulinemia was transiently demonstrable at the height of the inflammatory response. Analysis of the purified cryoprecipitate revealed the presence of human IgG and IgA, and, in addition, equine IgG. This demonstration of a well-defined exagenous antigen in the cryoprecipitate pro...
Milgrom F, Loza U, Kano K.Double diffusion tests in gel were employed for studies of reactions between infectious mononucleosis sera and extracts of bovine, sheep and equine erythrocyte stromata. The extracts were obtained by ultrasonication of stromata prepared from trypsin-digested erythrocytes. The reaction with bovine stroma extract was composed, in many instances, of two lines. A single line was observed in reactions with sheep and equine stroma extracts. This line merged into a reaction of partial or complete identy with one of the lines formed with bovine stroma extract. Evidence was obtained that some infectioo...
Williams MR.Rats were injected intradermally with rabbit anti-ovalbumin serum and 3 hours later were challenged intravenously with ovalbumin and Evans Blue dye. Inflammatory lesions were produced within 20 minutes and their size was markedly dose-dependent. Attempts were made to interfere with this passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) by admixture of normal IgG with the rabbit anti-ovalbumin to measure the relative tissue binding affinities of IgG from various species. It was found that normal IgG from any of the species tested had an enhancing effect on PCA in rats. These immunoglobulins serially arranged...
Wardle EN.Assessment of changes in activity of the reticuloendothelial system (RES), including the mesangial cells of the kidney, has been made by means of clearance studies of human aggregated gamma-globulin and of colloidal gold, during the course of horse serum sickness nephritis. RES blockade was found after protein loading and at the phase of circulating immune complexes. At other times RES activity was normal or increased. “Mesangial saturation” may have important implications for human nephritis.
Ek N.Levels of the immunoglobulins IgG and IgG(T) in serum in Norwegian horses of the breeds “Døle” and “Fjord” were determined by the quantitative radial immunodiffusion test. No significant differences were apparent between the 2 Norwegian breeds. The immunoglobulin levels were approximately in the same range as previously reported for Shetland ponies. Immunoglobulins could not be detected in the newborn foal. As early as 24 hrs. after birth the mean immunoglobulin level was within the adult range. After a drop during the first month of life, the immunoglobulins increased. IgG(T) rose mo...
Wilson S, Laurie G, Logan L.Multiple injections of horses with the membrane-microsome fraction from human thymocytes plus Freund's adjuvant gave rise to antithymocyte membrane serum with the immunosuppressive activity located in the γ2 region. Use of lymphoblast membrane-microsome fraction as antigen did not reduce the level of absorption required. Batch purification with QAE-Sephadex combined with ammonium sulfate fractionation gave 100% pure γG-globulins in good yield with reduced γ1-globulin content. The antithymocyte membrane globulin prolonged skin allografts in the cynomolgus monkey, chimpanzee, and man, showed ...
McGuire TC, Van Hoosier GL, Henson JB.The role of non-complement-fixing anti-equine infectious anemia (EIA) antibody in the conversion of complement fixation (CF) tests from positive to negative in EIA-infected horses was investigated. Complement-fixation inhibition (CFI) tests demonstrated antibodies in sera that were CF negative. These antibodies would bind to antigen, but would not fix complement. The inhibiting antibodies were isolated and shown to be IgG(T) by immunoelectrophoresis and immunodiffusion against monospecific anti-IgG(T) antisera. Separation of immunoglobulins from affected horse sera by DEAE cellulose chromatogr...
James K, Pullar DM, Morton JB, Dalton RG, Nolan B, Woodruff MF.Methods are described for the intravenous administration of equine antilymphocytic globulin (ALG) to renal transplant recipients. The development of circulating antibodies to the equine IgG has been investigated using primary and secondary immunological procedures. The need for primary immunoassay procedures to assess both the immune response and induction of tolerance to equine IgG in ALG treated patients is extensively discussed.
Nansen P, Riising HJ.The metabolism of immunoglobulin classes has been closely examined in several animal species. Although the horse has received much attention in experimental and applied immunology there seems to be little information available on immunoglobulin kinetics in this species. The present report describes the metabolism of equine IgG in 4 healthy, normoimmunoglobulinaemic horses, in 1 horse with hyperimmunoglobulinaemia and in 1 horse with relatively low immunoglobulin levels.
Finkelstein RA.An antiserum specific for Vibrio cholerae exo-enterotoxin was produced by immunization of a horse with purified choleragenoid, a natural cholera toxoid. The serum has a high titer against the toxin antigen in passive hemagglutination tests and a respectable antipermeability factor activity. It also passively protected against choleragen-induced mouse foot edema. The serum was found to be useful for assaying toxin antigen in crude and refined products by in vitro tests such as radial immunodiffusion, Lf, and quantitative precipitin titrations. Based upon experimental observations, the serum was...
Rouse BT, Ingram DG.Thirty-six samples of colostrum and milk were collected from ponies at various intervals after parturition. Levels of total protein and immunoglobulins IgG and IgG(T) were determined. In samples collected in the first 3 hours , the total protein concentration was approximately twice that of serum protein and the immunoglobulins IgG and IgG(T) accounted for 30 per cent and 10 per cent respectively of this protein. The ratio of IgG to IgG(T) was similar to that in serum. After suckling, a marked decline in both total protein and immunoglobulin concentration occurred. In addition, the relative co...
Helms CM, Allen PZ.Immunodiffusion analysis of papain digestion products, heavy and light chains of horse IgG-globulins with several rabbit and anti-horse IgG sera, have permitted the demonstration of five antigenic specificities (Fc1, Fc2, L, Lsp and Fabsp) associated with these equine antigens. Reactivity with anti-Fc1 is shown by both F′c and Fc fragments, while anti-Fc2 reactivity is shown only by Fc fragment.
Absorption of anti-Fab serum with L chain Fc fragment provides a reagent (anti-Fabsp) which precipitates only with Fab fragment, IgG-globulin or reduced and alkylated IgG. Upon exposure to deterge...
Montgomery PC, Bello AC, Rockey JH.N-terminal tetrapeptides from heavy chains of equine γGab- and γT-globulins, and of human γG and γA myeloma proteins and a γM macroglobulin, have been studied. The equine and human heavy chains lacked free α-amino-terminal groups. After mild alkaline hydrolysis, glutamic acid was identified as the terminal amino acid by reaction with dimethylaminonaphthalenesulfonyl chloride, tentatively identifying pyrrolid-2-one-5-carboxylic acid (PCA) as the unreactive terminal residue of each heavy chain. Peptides lacking a free α-amino group were isolated from subtilisin and pronase digests of the ...
Rouse BT, Ditchfield WJ.Nasal secretions and serum were collected from ponies in order to determine the types of immunoglobulins responsible for antibody activity against Myxovirus influenzae A-equi 2. Using specific antisera to remove each immunoglobulin, the antiviral activity of serum was shown to be a property of IgG globulin, whereas in nasal secretions activity was found in both IgG and IgG(T) globulins. However in secretions the predominant activity was attributed to IgG(T) globulin. Because of its sensitivity to 2 mercaptoethanol, early serum antibody was assumed to belong to the IgM class of immunoglobulins....
Weir RC, Porter RR.A study of the chemical structure of the horse immunoglobulins IgG and IgA(T) has shown that the amino acid contents of the peptide chains are very similar. These globulins differ most markedly in the products of papain digestion. IgG gives 3.5s products, whereas IgA(T) gives a 5s fraction and smaller components. This difference appears to be associated with the presence of an additional easily reducible disulphide bond in the Fd fragment of the heavy chain. There is two to three times as much carbohydrate in IgA(T) as in IgG. In both, this is in the heavy chain and in IgA(T) more than half is...
Herb VM, Url A, Tichy A, Nell B.Establishing an immunohistochemical approach for semi-quantitative assessment of the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in equine, canine, and feline corneas. Methods: Healthy corneas of horses, dogs, and cats, euthanized because of a fatal disease or an unrecoverable trauma unrelated to and without a history of ophthalmic disease were formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, and determined to be pathomorphologically healthy by light microscopy. Automated immunohistochemistry was performed using primary antibodies against IgG, biotin-conjugated secondary antibodies, and streptavidin-peroxidase, as w...
Warko G, Becht H, Bostedt H.Sixteen vital foals with free access to maternal colostrum received a additional non-species-specific commercial colostrum additive within the first 18 hours of their life. The additive had been prepared from bovine colostrum. At birth no bovine IgG was detectable. The concentration of bovine IgG reached its maximum 18 hours post natum with XG = 74.6 mg/dl. 96 hours after birth IgG levels had dropped to XG = 20.9 mg/dl. The correlation of bovine IgG with GGT-activity was highly significant. Formation of antibodies against bovine IgG could not be demonstrated. It is not possible to increase igG...
Sievert M, Schuler G, Wehrend A.Due to the time-limited intestinal uptake of colostral immunoglobulins, the suggested treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia in new-born foals is usually plasma transfusion. The aims of this study were twofold: firstly, to investigate the course of serum IgG concentration after plasma transfusion in newborn foals; and secondly, to determine the amount of transfusion required for a significant increase in serum IgG concentration. For this purpose, the IgG concentration was measured in 23 foals at three different points in time: before transfusion, 1 hour after transfusion, and 24 hours after transf...
O'Rielly JL.The IgG concentration of plasma from 13 mares was measured by radial immunodiffusion when fresh and after storage at -4 degrees C and thawing by 3 methods. There was no significant (P > 0.05) reduction in the IgG concentration when plasma was thawed over 6 hours at 22 degrees C (1352.9 +/- 101.6 mg/dL) (mean +/- SEM) compared with the fresh sample (1369.5 +/- 88.1 mg/dL). In contrast, there was a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the IgG concentration of plasma that was rapidly thawed at 57 degrees C over 50 minutes (1142.9 +/- 66.2 mg/dL), or placed in a microwave oven for 20 to 25 minutes ...
Hayes AM, Kastl B, Perry E, Moore AR, Springer NL.Myeloma-related disorders, including multiple myeloma, extramedullary plasmacytoma, and solid osseous plasmacytoma, are rare in horses. Clinical complaints for myeloma-related disorders are nonspecific, and when present, M-protein location is more variable on protein electrophoresis in horses relative to dogs and cats. Here, we describe a case of a 15-year-old Thoroughbred mare who presented with recurrent blepharitis. Marked hyperglobulinemia was an incidental finding on routine hematologic and biochemical testing. Bone marrow aspiration consisted of >30% plasma cells, and serum protein el...
Sobiraj A, Warko G, Lehmann B, Bostedt H.This review of therapeutic results involved 115 foals with delayed viability syndrome (DVS). The foals were up to four days old. It could be shown that prognosis quoad vitam depended very much on the severity of illness, which could be determined primarily by the foals' ability to stand (SA) and secondly by the presence of the suckling reflex (SR). Those foals that were (still) able to stand--while the suckling reflex was/was not present (anymore) (SA+, SR+; SA+, SR-)--had good prospects of recovery regardless of the causal disease. The chances for survival were significantly poorer if the foa...
Villa-Mancera A, Reynoso-Palomar A.The objective of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence of Fasciola hepatica infection in horses, donkeys and mules from different climate regions in two states of Mexico. A total of 594 serum samples were analysed for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with excretory-secretory (E/S) products as the antigen. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of serum IgG ELISA were 100% and 97.2%, respectively. We collected data using a questionnaire. The overall prevalence of the parasite in equids between May 2018 and April 2019 was 13.1...
BonenClark GD, MacKay RJ, Ward RE, Sheerin B.To evaluate the humoral response of horses to vaccination, using a murine monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (A4) that shares an epitope with lipid A. Methods: Serum concentrations of antilipid A antibody and 1C9 (epitope on murine monoclonal antilipid A antibody) were measured serially during the period of vaccination with A4. Methods: 6 clinically normal adult ponies. Methods: Ponies were inoculated IM 3 times at monthly intervals with A4. Two weeks after each inoculation, serum was obtained and was assayed by ELISA for antilipid A and 1C9 concentrations. Additional vaccinations were given t...
Ansar Ahmed S, Furr M, Chickering WR, Sriranganathan N, Sponenberg DP.Immunological, clinical, and pathological investigations were conducted on a horse with lymphosarcoma. The immunological status was investigated by measuring the level of antibodies by single radial immunodiffusion test and the ability of lymphocytes to proliferate in response to mitogens. Multiple immunological abnormalities were noted in this horse. They were; (1) decreased IgM, IgG, and IgA levels in the serum despite hyperproteinemia; (2) increased in-vitro spontaneous lymphoproliferation which reflects augmented mitosis; (3) decreased lymphoproliferative response to T cell stimulants (e.g...
Targowski SP.All chronically diarrheal horses given (orally) 2 series of treatments with normal horse serum recovered in 2 to 4 weeks. However, mild diarrhea sometimes persisted several months in the group of horses with severe diarrhea. Weight gains were approximately 35% in horses with severe diarrhea and approximately 10% in horses with mild diarrhea. Serum specimens from 12 diarrheal and 20 normal horses were examined for immunoglobulins by single radial immunodiffusion technique. Concentration of immunoglobulin A in serum of diarrheal horses was approximately 50% lower than that in serum of normal hor...
Williams MR.Rats were injected intradermally with rabbit anti-ovalbumin serum and 3 hours later were challenged intravenously with ovalbumin and Evans Blue dye. Inflammatory lesions were produced within 20 minutes and their size was markedly dose-dependent. Attempts were made to interfere with this passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) by admixture of normal IgG with the rabbit anti-ovalbumin to measure the relative tissue binding affinities of IgG from various species. It was found that normal IgG from any of the species tested had an enhancing effect on PCA in rats. These immunoglobulins serially arranged...
Hargis AM, Clark EG, Duclos DD, Leclerc S, West K.Over a 6-year period seven adult horses of different breeds and genders developed multifocal, exudative, oozing dermatitis characterized histologically by epidermal spongiotic vesicles and perivascular eosinophilic, neutrophilic and mixed mononuclear inflammation. Three horses were pruritic. Systemic disease was not noted. Two horses had a history of recurrent urticaria (hives) and one horse had nodules or welt-type lesions that progressed to exudative, oozing lesions. Interepithelial immunoglobulin (Ig)G was detected by avidin-biotin complex-peroxidase staining, but the pattern of staining wa...
Worthington RW, Mülders MS.Antibodies against epsilon toxin were isolated from hyperimmune horse serum by affinity chromatography. Purified epsilon prototoxin covalently bound to Affigel 202 was used as immunosorbent, and antibodies were eluted with 6.0 M guanidine chloride. In a single run 80 mg of antibody could be recovered from a 20 microliter column of immunosorbent. The antibody was shown to belong to the IgG(T) class of immunoglobulins.
Kenney RM, Cummings MR, Teuscher C, Love CC.Testicular degeneration is a major cause of subfertility in stallions, although an aetiological diagnosis cannot be made in most cases. In the present study, autoimmune testicular degeneration was induced and evaluated in stallions by immunizing stallions with their own spermatozoa mixed with an adjuvant. The factors evaluated included changes in semen quality and testicular histology. A large decrease in sperm number and quality was observed in response to sperm autoantigens. An ELISA test specific for antisperm antibodies was developed which enabled antibody titres in serum, seminal plasma a...
Jalali GR, Rezai A, Underwood JL, Mowbray JF, Surridge SH, Allen WR, Matthias S.We have shown that most of the IgG present on term syncytiotrophoblast, membrane, microvesicles is bound to an 80 kDa protein antigen (R80K). Methods: Microvesicles were prepared from term human placenta, and the IgG eluted at pH3. Results: When IgG antibody was eluted at pH3 and reacted with acid-treated vesicles of other placentae, the alloantibody always bound to the preparation from which it was obtained, but only to about 10% of acid-treated preparations from other placentae. A similar polymorphic protein found in association with IgG antibody was found in term horse placentae. Cross-reac...
Matthews AG.Distribution of the immunoglobulin (Ig) classes G, A and M within the anterior uvea of eight clinically normal equine eyes was examined using indirect immunoperoxidase labelling. Increased staining intensity of stromal IgG and IgA was observed within the ciliary processes, the iris stroma being relatively free of immunoglobulin. This may reflect anatomical variation in the permeability of the uveal microvasculature to lipid insoluble plasma macro-molecules. Intracellular IgG and IgA were observed within the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium in seven and four of the eight eyes respectively, alth...
Numata M, Kondo T, Nambo Y, Yoshikawa Y, Watanabe K, Orino K.Antibody (immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM or IgA) levels relative to ferritin in six foal sera (three male and three female) after birth (day 0 and 2, 6, 10, 20, 28, 36, 40, 52 and 56 weeks of age) were semi-quantitatively measured with normalization with antibody activity to ferritin in one adult horse serum. After addition of horse spleen ferritin to the serum sample, the complex formed between antibodies to ferritin in the serum and ferritin was co-immunoprecipitated using antibody to horse spleen ferritin. Antibody classes of the co-immnoprecipitate were detected with antibodies specific for h...
Hüthwohl H, Weiss R, Schmeer N, Schliesser T.Classification based on biochemical characteristics of 389 strains of plasma-coagulase-negative (plc-) staphylococci isolated from the genital tract of mares and stallions resulted in the following distribution of species: St. sciuri 130 (33.4%), St. equorum 42 (10.8%), St. xylosus 16 (4.1%), St. epidermidis 35 (9.0%), St. simulans 24 (6.2%), St. haemolyticus 33 (8.5%), St. warneri 18 (4.6%), St. lentus 12 (3.1%), St. hyicus 11 (2.8%). Strains of St. cohnii, St. capitis, St. gallinarum, St. saprophyticus and St. hominis have only been found sporadically (a. 1%). 48 (12.3%) strains could not be...
Wang X, Kole AR, Greenwald GS.This study was designed to determine whether the major site of eCG neutralization by an antiserum to the hormone is at the peripheral or ovarian level. Hamsters hypophysectomized at oestrus were injected s.c. with 25 iu eCG. Three days later, preovulatory follicles were dissected and cultured for 5 h and the medium was changed every hour. At the end of the first hour of incubation, oestradiol and androstenedione accumulation was high, with a sharp drop over the next 4 h, whereas progesterone concentrations did not change over the entire period. Addition of eCG antiserum to the incubated follic...
Broström H, Obel N, Perlmann P.Human lymphocytes displayed a frequent natural cytotoxicity (NK) in vitro against normal equine dermal fibroblasts (ED) and against equine tumour cells of a virus-containing cell line (Mc-1). Similarly, human normal sera contained antibodies that induced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by normal human lymphocytes against the same target cells. Both NK and ADCC varied for different donors. For individual donors, however, cytotoxicity against the two target cells was significantly correlated both in NK and ADCC. For ED there was also a significant correlation between ADCC and NK ...
Vianna AM, Santos AC, Cunha RC, de Souza Stori de Lara AP, Weege GB, Leivas Leite FP.Equine theileriosis is a severe equine disease caused by the protozoan Theileria equi, which is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas. In this study, a recombinant equi merozoite antigen-2 (rEMA-2) of T. equi was used as an immunogen. Two groups of 10 mice each were divided into control and vaccinated groups. Sixty mares seronegative for theileriosis were divided in two groups, one vaccinated and another group as a control animal. Mice and mares of the vaccinated groups were inoculated with 150 μL of the vaccine containing 50 μg of rEMA-2 and 2 mL of the vaccine containing 200 ...
Broström H, Hellström U, Ziverts I, Obel N, Perlmann P.In a preceding report we have shown that the lectin Helix pomatia A hemagglutinin (HP) binds to two subpopulations of neuraminidase-treated equine peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), constituting about 20% and 75% of PBL, respectively. The aim of the present study was to further characterize these HP+ cells in regard to other surface markers such as receptors for guinea pig erythrocytes (GPR+ cells), membrane-bound immunoglobulins (sIg+ cells), receptors for activated complement (C3R+ cells) and receptors for IgG (Fc alpha R+ cells). This was done by double marker analysis and by lymphocyte fr...
Widders PR, Stokes CR, David JS, Bourne FJ.Antibody in serum, uterine and vaginal secretions was measured following local immunisation and experimental infection with the organism of contagious equine metritis (Taylorella equigenitalis). Intrauterine immunisation with killed T equigenitalis stimulated a systemic IgG titre and a uterine IgA and IgM response. Subsequent challenge with the organism, however, resulted in a characteristic metritis in both control and vaccinated mares. Antibody in serum and secretions was increased following challenge infection, dwarfing the response to immunisation. The local response was restricted to the ...
Velineni S, DeNegri R, Artiushin SC, Timoney JF.Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Sz) and its clonal derivative Streptococcus equi (Se) share greater than 96% DNA identity and elicit immune responses to many shared proteins. Identification of proteins uniquely targeted by the immune response to each infection would have diagnostic value. Objective: The aim of the study was to compare serum antibody responses of horses infected by Se or Sz. Methods: Antibody levels were measured to panels of recombinant proteins of Sz and Se in sera of horses and ponies before and after experimental and naturally occurring invasive infections by these organisms. ...
Guenther MC, Borowicz PP, Hirchert MR, Semanchik PL, Simons JL, Fridley J, White-Springer SH, Hammer CJ.The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is the receptor responsible for bidirectional transport of immunoglobulin G (IgG) across cells, maintenance of IgG levels in serum, and assisting with antigen presentation. Unfortunately, little is known about FcRn in horses. Therefore, the objective of this study was to provide fundamental information regarding the location of FcRn in equine tissues. Tissues were collected from six horses of mixed breed, age, and sex immediately following euthanasia. Sampling locations included the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), other visceral organs, cornea, ...
Sobral GG, Neto OCG, Lima TC, Carneiro GF.Providing plasma with immunoglobulins is essential for the health of foals with failure of passive transfer of immunity. The use of lyophilized plasma (LP) offers a simple and affordable option in terms of transportation and storage. This study aimed to measure the concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG), total protein (TP), and total solids (TS) in fresh equine plasma before and after lyophilization. Plasma was collected from six healthy male horses. The samples underwent freeze-drying and were reconstituted in deionized water to their original volume. The concentrations of IgG in both fresh...
Terpeluk ER, Schäfer J, Finkler-Schade C, Rauch E, Rohn K, Schuberth HJ.The quality of equine colostrum is typically defined by refractometry or the concentration of maternal antibodies. However, the activity of other equine colostral bioactive molecules has not yet been investigated. This study analyzed whether the administration of a fermentation product (SCFP) influences the biological activity of mare colostrum and whether the biological activity of colostrum has a lasting immunomodulating effect for foals. A total of fourteen pregnant mares received 20 g/day of a SCFP for a period of twelve weeks prior to the calculated date of birth (SCFP-group). Twelve pre...
Botía M, Martín-Cuervo M, Martínez-Subiela S, Cerón JJ, Ayala I, Hansen S, Muñoz-Prieto A.Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a widespread disease with a very high prevalence and importance in horses. It includes two conditions: Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD), linked to acid disturbances, and Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD), associated with inflammation and immune system issues. In saliva, increased levels of immunological markers have been observed in this disease, indicating immune system involvement. In addition, changes in biomarkers of oxidative stress have been described. In horses, IgG and IgA are proteins that appear in saliva and serum and are considere...
Gallacher K, Champion K, Denholm KS.Foals suffer from total failure to transfer passive immunity (TFTPI) when serum immunoglobulin (IgG) is <4 g/L, and partial failure to transfer passive immunity (PFTPI) when serum IgG is 4-8 g/L. Objective: To explore risk factors for poor serum IgG concentration. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: Data from 535 Thoroughbred foals born to 177 mares were analysed and included foal sex, birthweight, month and year of birth and colostrum Brix %. Associations between dam age and colostrum Brix (%); and between foal serum IgG and liveweight gains were also measured. Pre-suckle...
Böckmann S, Trzebiatowski L, Georgiev P, Büttner K, Wehrend A.Immunoglobulins ingested via colostrum must remain intact to be absorbed by the neonate. Equine colostrum contains antitrypsin activity, which likely protects these proteins from proteolysis in the gastrointestinal tract. Objective: To quantify antitrypsin activity in equine colostrum and milk, describe its temporal changes during the first five days after parturition, compare actitvity between left and right mammary glands, evaluate differences between nulliparous and pluriparous mares, and examine associations with immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations and mare age. Methods: This retrospecti...
